The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing
by King in Yellow
Summary: Back on day shift after Sleep Is for the Weak, Nick faces the horror all males dread – the most romantic day on the calendar for females. Will the fox rise to the occasion, or crash and burn in flames? Can any male ever live up to expectations? None of our holidays were killed in writing this story – their version is called Love Day. Set in the Who Do You Trust? timeline.


Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from Zootopia are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

I avoid human religious holidays in Zootopia stories. There may be days important for all animals in Zootopian society, or days which are special to a single species. But there was no Jesus, Moses, Mohammad, or Buddha to generate our holidays there. That being said, title is from the 1954 musical, White Christmas.

**The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing**

"I know you didn't have much social life before me," Judy said to Nick as they cuddled in bed before starting the work day, "but you know what today is, right?"

"Friday?"

"You're just trying to start an argument. Today celebrates our conquest of primitive instincts and biology. We celebrate our love for the individual who is the most important in the world to us."

"I thought Mother's Day wasn't for another two months."

"Our spouse!"

"Ah. And it is so much more civilized to call it Love Day than In-Heat-Day."

"Sometimes I wonder why a handsome, charming male like you hadn't been snatched up and married before I moved to Zootopia. And other days I think I know why."

"I was waiting for the perfect female?"

"Nice save, Slick."

When Judy came out for breakfast she found a small box of chocolates sitting on her plate. Nick had not forgotten the day.

"I believe most males who buy chocolates for their sweetheart eat most of them," Nick told her. "You can trust me."

"Only because it makes you sick," Judy pointed out. "Carrots or tulips might..."

"Problem?"

"Calories."

"The tradition is chocolate, not tulips or carrots. And we'll burn plenty of calories at the dance competition tonight."

Ben Clawhauser greeted them enthusiastically on their arrival at the First. "It's so good to have you back on day shift!"

Nick just grinned, wondering how long Ben would celebrate their status as a test case for allowing a husband and wife to partner together.

"Oh, and Alces wants you in his office."

Nick had thought things were going too well. He and Judy were almost never summoned to hear good news.

"Good news," the moose told them. "You should be getting some kind of commendation for your work on the Stephen Quagga case."

Nick thought of asking if Alces was congratulating himself for sentencing them to the night shift, so they were awake to solve the sleeping plot, but decided antagonizing a large animal was never a good idea.

"What's happening with that?" asked Judy.

"Heard the DA is still finding charges to file against him."

Two cases filled their day. Gathering evidence of the hit-and-run required the majority of their time, and they might need to continue working it for weeks. The second case involved the killing of a convenience store clerk. Police had arrived so quickly the killer had not been able to flee, and had attempted to pass himself off as a witness – giving the description of another animal as the robber. He'd hoped to leave after making his statement, but the officers at the scene had kept him there for the detectives. Inconsistencies in his story to Judy and Nick, and finding the gun hidden behind bags of corn chips, exposed his crime.

Dinner at a nice restaurant and then dancing – a jitterbug competition.

"I'm going to have it bronzed," Nick said, taking his eyes off the road briefly to glance at the small trophy on the dashboard.

"You realize it's silver, right?"

"Your point?"

"One does not usually bronze something silver."

"And the two of us don't usually win a dance competition! It's a first. Not the foxtrot, but still, we're number one! We're number one!"

Judy sighed, "And here I was, afraid winning might go to your head."

They returned home, and Nick stood in the living room, looking for a good spot to put the small trophy on prominent display.

Judy went into the bedroom for a minute and emerged with a hand held behind her back. "I have a Love Day present for you."

"And now my day is... Wait, you didn't buy me chocolate did you? It's the male who buys it for his wife or female-friend, and then eats it himself. Not that you're a stickler for following tradition."

"Maybe I won't give you your present."

"Oh... Please? Please? Please?"

She grinned, and handed him an envelope.

Nick opened it and pulled out a very, very small, sheer, red negligee. "It's really not my size, Dear."

"You seemed to enjoy me in that white one so much – until that night you got over-enthusiastic – that I thought you might enjoy seeing me in another."

"And there's very little of you I can't see when you're wearing this," Nick leered.

"Bedroom in ten minutes?"

"Make it five."

"Ten, the anticipation will increase the excitement."

"Five. If I get too excited it goes the way of the white one after only one night."

Judy giggled and rubbed noses with her husband. "You're an animal! It's one of the things I love about you."

Forty minutes, curled in her husband's arms, Judy purred, "The way our ancestors have celebrated Love Day for generations."

"I can't speak for your ancestors, but I'm pretty sure mine weren't in bed with bunnies."

"You know what I mean, Mister Wilde. The end of the perfect day."

"Yea, verily."

"So... What was the best part of the day?" _"And you'd better not say it was the trophy."_

_"I get a dope slap if I say the dancing trophy."_ "Having you as my partner, Carrot-breath. Any day I spend with you is wonderful."

"Perfect day, perfect answer."

–The End–


End file.
